Control device for controlling multiple operating characteristics of an electrical load

Abstract

A load control device may be configured to control multiple characteristics of one or more electrical loads such as the intensity and color of a lighting load. The load control device may switch from controlling one characteristic of the electrical loads to controlling another characteristic of the electrical loads based on the position and/or orientation of one or more components of the load control device. Such a position and/or orientation may be manipulated by moving the one or more components relative to a base portion of the load control device. The load control device may be a wall-mounted device or a battery-powered remote control device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A control device for controlling a lighting load in a load control system, the control device comprising:
 a base portion; 
 a rotating portion rotatable with respect to the base portion; 
 an actuation portion having a front surface, the front surface of the actuation portion configured to be in a first plane along an axis perpendicular to the base portion and in a second plane parallel to the first plane, wherein the second plane is located closer to the base portion than the first plane, and the front surface of the actuation portion is configured to be moved from the first plane to the second plane when the rotating portion is pushed in towards the base portion; and 
 a control circuit configured to generate first control data for changing one of color or intensity of the lighting load in response to rotations of the rotating portion when the front surface of the actuation portion is located in the first plane, the control circuit further configured to generate second control data for changing the other of color or intensity of the lighting load in response to rotations of the rotating portion when the front surface of the actuation portion is in the second plane. 
 
     
     
       2. The control device of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion is configured to be mounted over an actuator of a mechanical switch that controls power delivered to the lighting load. 
     
     
       3. The control device of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion is configured to be mounted to an electrical wallbox. 
     
     
       4. The control device of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a load control circuit adapted to be electrically coupled in series between an AC power source and the lighting load for controlling power delivered to the lighting load. 
 
     
     
       5. The control device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an internal switch; 
 wherein the actuation portion is configured to not actuate the internal switch when the front surface of the actuation portion is in the first plane, and configured to actuate the internal switch when the front surface of the actuation portion is moved into the second plane. 
 
     
     
       6. The control device of  claim 5 , wherein the internal switch comprises a sensor, an light emitting diode (LED) sensor, a photosensitive device, an optocoupler that comprises an infra-red (IR) LED and a photodiode, an inductive sensor, a hall-effect sensor circuit, or a mechanically operated switch. 
     
     
       7. The control device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more visual indicators configured to be illuminated by one or more light sources; 
 wherein, when the rotating portion is being rotated to adjust the intensity of the lighting load, the control circuit is configured to illuminate the one or more visual indicators to display feedback information regarding a present intensity of the lighting load; and 
 wherein, when the rotating portion is being rotated to adjust the color of the lighting load, the control circuit is configured to illuminate the one or more visual indicators to display feedback information regarding a present color of the lighting load. 
 
     
     
       8. The control device of  claim 1 , wherein the actuation portion is separate from the rotating portion and received in a central opening of the rotating portion. 
     
     
       9. The control device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a communication circuit configured to transmit a first control signal associated with the first control data and a second control signal associated with the second control data. 
 
     
     
       10. A control device for controlling a lighting load in a load control system, the control device comprising:
 a base portion configured to be mounted over a mechanical switch that controls power delivered to the lighting load; 
 an internal switch; 
 a rotating portion rotatable with respect to the base portion, the rotating portion comprising a front area, the rotating portion configured to not actuate the internal switch when the front area of the rotating portion is located in a first plane and to actuate the internal switch when the front area of the rotating portion is moved into a second plane parallel to the first plane; and 
 a control circuit configured to generate first control data for changing one of color or intensity of the lighting load in response to rotations of the rotating portion when the front surface of the actuation portion is located in the first plane and the internal switch is not actuated, the control circuit further configured to generate second control data for changing the other of color or intensity of the lighting load in response to rotations of the rotating portion when the front surface of the actuation portion is in the second plane and the internal switch is actuated. 
 
     
     
       11. The control device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an actuation portion comprising a front surface that defines the front area of the rotating portion. 
 
     
     
       12. The control device of  claim 11 , wherein the actuation portion is attached to the rotating portion. 
     
     
       13. The control device of  claim 11 , wherein the actuation portion is separate from the rotating portion and received in a central opening of the rotating portion. 
     
     
       14. The control device of  claim 10 , wherein the second plane is located closer to the base portion than the first plane, and the front area of the rotating portion is capable of being moved from the first plane to the second plane when the rotating portion is pushed in towards the base portion. 
     
     
       15. The control device of  claim 10 , wherein the second plane is located farther away from the base portion than the first plane, and the front area of the rotating portion is capable of being moved from the first plane to the second plane when the rotating portion is pulled away from the base portion. 
     
     
       16. The control device of  claim 1 , wherein the actuation portion is configured to not actuate the internal switch when the front surface of the actuation portion is in the first plane, and configured to actuate the internal switch when the front surface of the actuation portion is moved into the second plane. 
     
     
       17. The control device of  claim 16 , wherein the internal switch comprises a sensor, an light emitting diode (LED) sensor, a photosensitive device, an optocoupler that comprises an infra-red (IR) LED and a photodiode, an inductive sensor, a hall-effect sensor circuit, or a mechanically operated switch. 
     
     
       18. A method for controlling a lighting load in a load control system using a control device, the method comprising:
 detecting rotation of a rotating portion of the control device; 
 determining whether a front surface of an actuation mechanism of the control device is in a first plane or a second plane along an axis perpendicular to a base portion of the control device; 
 wherein, when the front surface of the actuation mechanism is in the first plane, the method further comprises adjusting one of color or intensity of the lighting load; and 
 wherein, when the front surface of the actuation mechanism is in the second plane, the method further comprises adjusting the other of color or intensity of the lighting load. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 controlling a controllably conductive device of the control device to adjust one of the color or intensity of the lighting load when the front surface of the actuation mechanism is in the first plane; or 
 controlling the controllably conductive device of the control device to adjust the other of the color or intensity of the lighting load when the front surface of the actuation mechanism is in the second plane. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 transmitting a first digital message using a communication circuit of the control device to adjust one of the color or intensity of the lighting load when the front surface of the actuation mechanism is in the first plane; and 
 transmitting a second digital message using the communication circuit to adjust the other of the color or intensity of the lighting load when the front surface of the actuation mechanism is in the second plane. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 detecting that an internal switch of the control device is not actuated to determine that the front surface of the actuation mechanism is in the first plane; and 
 detecting that the internal switch is actuated to determine that the front surface of the actuation mechanism is in the second plane. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the internal switch comprises a sensor, an light emitting diode (LED) sensor, a photosensitive device, an optocoupler that comprises an infra-red (IR) LED and a photodiode, an inductive sensor, a hall-effect sensor circuit, or a mechanically operated switch. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second plane is located closer to the base portion than the first plane, and the front area of the rotating portion is capable of being moved from the first plane to the second plane when the rotating portion is pushed in towards the base portion.